10 Ways to Get Better FASTER on the Mandolin

It would be hard to not get better faster with these awesome mando tips from ‪@WyattEllis‬ and ‪@sierrahullmusic‬. Use these 10 things to help push past any plateaus you might experience in your mandolin journey.
Check out Wyatt's new record here: orcd.co/wehappyvalley
Read more about Wyatt and keep up to date with Wyatt's tour schedule here: wyattellis.com/
Learn more about learning by ear here: www.noyamountainmusic.com/
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ABOUT ME:
My name is David, and I play the mandolin. I've played with multiple award-winning bluegrass bands across the world including Missy Raines, Mile Twelve, Cup O’Joe, and The Foreign Landers, and I curate the weekly mandolin video series #mandolinmondays hosted by the Mandolin Cafe. But most of all, I love sharing my love of the mandolin with others. I run an online mandolin learning community on Patreon, and I also make videos to share my thoughts, ideas, and general mandolin enthusiasm with other mando aficionados. Find out more at the links below:
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*Just a little disclaimer that I’m endorsed by some of the companies represented here, and a few of my "weapon of choice" links above are affiliate links that bring in a small percentage of revenue for the channel.

[@christopherreily1895]

Are mandolinists just the nicest (and most talented) people in music? This video put a HUGE smile on my face after a long week. Hope all is well David! Chris

[@WyattEllis]

🫶

[@gibson2623]

NO. Real men use guitars

[@opaisy]

Wyatt is so talented and well spoken beyond his years! Watching his progress on the Internet has been inspiring! Motivates me to stop making excuses for why I don't play/ learn enough.

[@WyattEllis]

💙

[@charlesmontgomery7002]

Like Sierra said, David, YOU rock! Thanks for your huge contribution to the mandolin community!

[@WyattEllis]

He does!

[@mattparksmusic]

WYATT!!! I just saw him in Chattanooga opening for Sierra Hull! What a monster young player!

[@nickroberts-xf7oq]

😉 They recorded this just before. 😊

[@shelbyray5623]

Just started picking up a mandolin and I'm obsessed. My granddaddy was a mandolinist, and he played in festivals and even played alonside Ricky Skaggs at Renfro Valley once, here in my home state of Kentucky. I can't wait to deep dive and really start putting more effort and passion into the artistry that is mandolin playing. Thanks so much for a great video and greater advice! 💙

[@bob-rogers]

Great video. It's amazing how much young people are pushing the boundaries of musical performance. The Peace Center is a great venue. It's named after Mr. Bony Peace, publisher of the Greenville News in the early 1900s. FWIW, the building in the background at 6:30 is part of the Governor's School for the Arts.

[@pertinaciousD]

What Wyatt has got in a handful of years I’ve not been able pick up in decades, it’s enough to (almost) make me hand up my mandolin and settle for just listening to great music. I just never figured out how some people play with that level of fluidity and ease, that mandolin really sings.

[@WyattEllis]

Keep going. Get to slowing things down on KZbin and also join some online group classes.

[@pertinaciousD]

@@WyattEllisslowing down is definitely needed.

[@brendastafford9649]

Thank you, thank you David! Your videos are always so much fun and so inspiring! (loved the show at the Bijou in Knoxville, Wyatt & Sierra! 🙂)

[@artsie8282]

This young man is amazing. David is my go to person for all things Mando.

[@WyattEllis]

🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@clawhammer704]

David your mandolin has excellent tone. Don’t never sell that mandolin. It’s got that cutting tone. Who’s the maker.

[@dr.p3637]

Apitius. Incredible mandos by an incredible luthier! And David makes it sound beyond incredible.

[@jmtab]

Loved everything about this David. Proud to be one of your Patreons.

[@mikegospe5266]

David, a great video! Great to get tips from Wyatt, and backstage with Sierra (one of my bluegrass heroes). Thanks for taking us along on your trip.

[@elisabethl4197]

Thanks so much for taking the time to make this video! You all three are a huge inspiration drive for me in my playing!

[@ricklarsen852]

What an outstanding interview and video!! And great tips as well, Wyatt! Thank you and David, and Ms Sierra as well! 👏👏

[@WyattEllis]

🫶

[@tomhart6962]

So Forked is a two syllable word? Never knew. Saw Wyatt on Zoom for Monroe Mandolin Camp in 2020. Such incredible improvement!

[@WyattEllis]

That’s how I learned. All online 🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@chrisjacobs5570]

Great video, thanks David! It was really nice to get to know Wyatt a little better and he's such a nice young dude. I hope you got a lot out of your lesson. ;)

[@nickroberts-xf7oq]

Y'all sound awesome together ! W 😮 W ! 👏 🎶 🎻 🏆 🎉

[@keithalexander7189]

Great advice, fascinating interview and a wonderful little duet. So many great musicians cite playing along to recordings, and I wonder if that’s self selecting because my impression is it takes so much work and ability to be able to do that- though these days with KZbin looping and slowing tools it’s a bit more accessible!

[@bruceclawson2888]

Wyatt moves his right arm mainly from his wrist, David from his elbow. I’m sure personal style/preference determine which joint is used to move the pick. Please share your thoughts on this.

[@RobertRoweMusic]

Great set of tips from all of you! Currently self-learning mandolin, but I teach bowed strings and 'uke, and share these tips to my students regularly!

[@gregrohrer7136]

David, thanks for the interesting video. Very helpful. Wyatt is so mature for his age. I liked the chords you were using for Forked Deer. Do you have a video for that?

[@foractivedogs9168]

I absolutely loved this video. Thanks so much for being who you are David and for sharing your love of this incredible instrument with the rest of us!

[@WyattEllis]

💯

[@willie1027]

Thanks for the video. The interview was great as was the playing.

[@smileyfdave]

It would really nice to find out what mic set up they have on their mandolin in the jam with Sierra.

[@tommyleebaker1]

LR Baggs Radius pickups for sure. It' highly likely that the condenser mic clip ons are DPA 4099. I use the Radius with an AT 350 mic.

[@Peter-fu7jl]

I want to get faster better on the mandolin.

[@FondaHancock-l8g]

Thank you for the video. I was at the Wyatt / Sierra concert in Greenville. They were both awesome.

[@WyattEllis]

🫶

[@FondaHancock-l8g]

@@WyattEllis Someday I will get to tell my grandchildren that I saw you playing with Sierra Hull in a small venue in Greenville when you were 15. I will always remember this particular event as one of my favorite.

[@WyattEllis]

@@FondaHancock-l8gthank you so much.

[@ChrisHenryVideos]

Excellent video!

[@ptworkshopmusic7229]

Thanks! Great stuff. A general question you might have already covered somewhere: All of these top notch players have a lot of speed and clean picking. Do they set their mandos up with low action or what do you recommend?

[@WyattEllis]

Mine is low but not too low

[@ptworkshopmusic7229]

@@WyattEllis Thank you! Appreciate the direct reply!

[@johncullen5230]

Amazing Great playing .Love that👏

[@WyattEllis]

🤘

[@Koosh1984]

Wow!! I went to this show as a new sierra fan. They both blew me away. I’m trying to learn mandolin. Do you know any place to get lessons in the upstate?

[@WyattEllis]

Start online!!

[@davidfast5169]

David-it looks like both you and Wyatt are packing Hoffee cases. Any reason you went with Hoffee over something like the Caltons?

[@WyattEllis]

Mine is a Northfield Airloom gifted from C.J. Lewandowski on my Opry Debut. It is very light.

[@Sincoola27]

What was the first tune they played on the park bench??

[@WyattEllis]

🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

Did you get scared standing on the bridge at the first of the movie and do you think if you had a accident and dropped the instrument do you think it would break it inside the case.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

Nah. No thanks. I’m just gonna keep buying mandolin accessories and $35 picks. 😂

[@evanseymour4172]

🤣👏

[@WyattEllis]

😅

[@cliffsandifer3877]

35 $ picks?.......happy sales staff, I bought 100 picks for 14$

[@Emmetgriffin9]

❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@WyattEllis]

🫶

[@johncullen5230]

👏🫵🎵

[@cliffsandifer3877]

" awesome", 'rock" seems a staple of the rhetoric with these fellas

[@WyattEllis]

It’s not a coincidence 🤘🎸